


The Necklace

by Lspark



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Future Fic, mother-daughter bonding, personal headcanons, west-allen family snippet, west-allen household
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 18:17:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9915089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lspark/pseuds/Lspark
Summary: Dawn needing a necklace for a dance leads to mother-daughter bonding time, and Dawn discovers a treasure from her mother’s past.





	

**Author's Note:**

> In this story Dawn is in her sophomore year 15-16 years old. I agree with a lot of people’s headcanons that Dawn and Don are not their full names - haha, but I have come up with my personal option for what their full names could be. Dawn’s is in the story but since Don isn’t, my headcanon name for him is Donovan Henry Ryan Allen.

Dawn Allen fumed as she destroyed her room racing around trying to find a proper piece of jewelry for the dance this evening. 

Her mother had asked her several times if she wanted to go shopping with her, but Dawn hated shopping for dresses, and having learned how to adequately use her sewing machine she got last Christmas, decided to make her own dress. 

At first she wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, but her mom found out because Dawn Allen couldn’t keep anything from Iris West-Allen - but she still kept it as a secret from everyone else so she could get their honest reaction. She also made sure her mom didn’t see the process. 

_Maybe_ , she thinks, _if I had gone shopping with her I could’ve at least gotten something to match my dress._ But this was her first project and she wanted to make a bold fashion statement and hopefully take her first step to making her mark as a future designer. 

And she felt she did just that, but she completely forgot about a necklace or a choker, or some type of jewelry to go with her outfit. And her outfit needed it! As she sped around her room, she accidently knocked over a mug and was too distracted to catch it before it hit the ground. Groaning she rushed to pick it up, and within seconds disposed of the shards and was back in her room. 

When she sped in she halted and jumped in surprise at her mother sitting with her legs crossed on her bed. 

“ _Mooom!_ ” Dawn complained. Iris only smirked. Iris was the only non-speedster of the family, yet she was sometimes the fastest. 

“What’re you doing?” Iris asked, eyebrows raised. 

“I hate that I keep leaving mugs in my room.” 

“I told y-” 

“I know, I need be more careful using my speed -” 

“No, I told you to clean this room!” Dawn and her mom shared a look for a second and then bursted out laughing. Iris continued after they settled down, 

“But yes, that too. So what’s going on? I’ve been hearing you going about for a while now, but I didn’t want to interrupt in case you were working on your - _project_.” Iris said carefully. 

“It’s finished actually!” Dawn shared excitedly. Iris grinned, she was really proud of her daughter. As soon as Iris and Barry found out how much Dawn liked fashion and clothes, they bought materials and gave her gift cards to DIY stores, made sure she had tons of fashion books, and last Christmas Barry and Iris decided she was old enough for an official sewing machine, even if it was a bit of an investment. 

Iris was really happy both her kids loved art, Don was more into photography and music, but they both had a very distinctive love creative stuff - with a technical touch of perfection and a love for the science in it that she’s sure came from Barry. Don was definitely a music nerd and Iris loved it. 

“So, do I get to see it?!” She asked, sharing in her daughter's excitement. 

“You _do_ ,” Dawn started. “Just not right now because I need to find the finishing piece and I can’t seem to find any of my jewelry!” Dawn sighed. 

“What do you mean, I see jewelry all around here!” Iris pointed to the various pieces of necklaces, chokers and earrings lying across the floor. 

“No, mom you don’t get it, I need just the right touch. It has to go with the dress.” 

“I see.” Iris thought for a moment. 

“Why don’t you check out my jewelry collection? I literally have so many I can’t count them. Also, I’ve always wanted to pass down one of my necklaces to you.” 

“Are you sure? I could speed us over to the store!” Dawn offered. 

“No, I think you’ve been racing around enough today, come on.” Iris got up, and nudged her head towards the door for her daughter to follow her. Dawn did so and followed her mom into her parents room. It was neat and clean, but Dawn knew her father’s super-speed contributed to the neatness, she just couldn’t find it in herself to try to even use her speed to clean. Yes, she found beauty in her mess. And it was with those parts of herself that she was the most grateful for how much her mom understands her. Most mothers would constantly complain about the messy room, and Iris did, but she did so lovingly, jokingly. And once in awhile, it would be clean and her mom would act like they deserved a party. Dawn smiled to herself. 

They entered into Iris and Barry’s walk-in closet and Dawn allowed herself to take a moment. When she was younger she wasn’t really allowed in because she and her brother would just make a mess, enjoying the room to test out different speedster tricks, and their favorite was the tornado spins they mastered. As they got older they got less interested in testing the speed out in confined spaces, and breaking their parents rules, so they stayed out of the closet, and honestly Dawn was rarely in her parents room.

Both Dawn and Don knew their parents were very... well _passionate_ and neither of them wanted to be traumatized for life. There were some close calls, Dawn shook the memories away. Why did her parents have to be so madly in love...literally all the time? However, she admired it. She knew what not to accept in a relationship, but she also had high standards now. Taking herself out of her thoughts, she brushed her hands over some of her mother's clothes. She had great fashion sense. 

Dawn’s style was always edgier than her mom’s but she always loved and looked up to how Iris dressed. 

“Feel free to try on anything.” Iris mentioned watching her daughter stare in awe at her clothes. 

“It feels like I’m at the store, you have a lot of clothes in here.” Dawn laughed. 

“Well, your dad doesn’t seem to mind, he _loves_ me in my clothes,” Iris murmured to herself with a smile, but Dawn heard and glared at her mom. 

“Ugh, you guys are too gross.” She said pulling out a red dress. Iris laughed. 

“I said that to myself!” Iris defended. Dawn brought the dress to herself and turned to the full length mirror. “Want it?” Iris asked. 

Dawn turned to her mom, surprised. 

“Really?” She asked. In her mind there were already several altercations she could make to the dress to make it more ‘her’, first by adding some black lace to the bottom hem, but she loved the color and rose print on the dress. 

“Really.” Iris assured her. The two of them, mother and daughter shared a sweet smile. Then Dawn held the dress closer to herself thinking about all she could do to it when her mom brought her out of her thoughts, 

“Alright, come on, let’s find you something to fit that dress of yours.” 

Dawn went with her to the jewelry drawer and watched as Iris drew out a full drawer filled with jewelry and a few jewelry boxes. The gold, silver and various other colors of shimmering diamonds danced in the light. Dawn tried not to hang her mouth open. Iris grinned at her daughter's reaction. 

“Mom?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Be honest.” 

“Always.”

“How many of these did you buy for yourself?” Dawn asked her mom, stunned at the ammount. Iris couldn’t help but laugh loudly. 

“About one third of this.” 

“I knew it, dad got you over half of this! He’s sooo cheesy.” Dawn said rolling her eyes, but she was also grinning. She couldn’t believe - well, knowing her dad, she could believe it. 

“It works for him.” Iris said. And Dawn was about to send her mom another glare, but Iris raised her hands in surrender to promise the comment was innocent. 

“Which one do you want?” She added. Dawn surveyed the crowd of diamonds and silvers and golds. She wasn’t quite feeling any of them. She moved the jewelry around with her fast speed, and then opened a few boxes. When she was opening the final jewelry box, she slowed down and she noticed her mother flinch, like she was about to say something - like it was too special to open. She closed it. 

“This is a ‘do not open’?” She asked. Iris smiled and shook her head. 

“Go ahead dear.” She said softly. Dawn suddenly felt the the weight of opening the box as she opened it again, this meant a lot to her mom. A lot more than any of the shiny glittery pieces, this was significant. 

Dawn was surprised to see when she finally opened the box, that there was only one necklace inside. And at first glance it didn’t look like someone’s most prized possession either. It was beautiful, but it was really simple. A gold ring and a gold chain, a ring necklace. But then Dawn took the ring in her hands, delicately, knowing it meant a lot to her mom, and she analyzed it. 

Then suddenly it was stunning - thin - rims bolded, special intricate carvings. Just stunning. 

“Woah.” Dawn said quietly. “Was this your old - did you get a new wedding band?” Dawn asked, curious as to the meaning of the ring. 

“No this is my only wedding band.” Iris pointing to the glittering ring on her ring finger. 

“Your engagement ring?” 

“Nope, that one is, here.” Iris pointed to a smaller box that Dawn hadn’t noticed. Dawn opened the box and her mouth dropped at the gorgeous ring before her. She closed it quickly and turned to her mom. 

“ _How?_ ” She asked her mom, as in how did her dad get this ring. Iris shrugged. 

“He has his ways.” 

“Now I get it.”

“Get what?” 

“Why we’re not millionaires, cause dad spends all his money on you.” Dawn joked. Iris shook her head and tried to look serious, 

“Dawna-Ruth Nora Cynthia Allen! That’s not funny.” Iris said crossing her arms together. She used her daughter's full name to emphasize her seriousness. 

“What! I was only kidding.” She replied. Iris broke her facade and smiled. 

“I know, and honey we don’t have to worry about money, okay. Trust me, your dad won’t shut up about how well things are going with the new book he wrote about Quantum physics, and how well the museum's new 4-D theater is doing.” 

“So...what does the ring mean?” Dawn asked, she was anxious to know. 

“The ring was something your father gave me a long, long time ago. Even before we even got together. It was a Christmas present.” 

“And you kept it all these years?” 

Iris smiled at her daughter, and sat down on the cushion in the middle of the closet. Dawn naturally sat next to her mother. Then she went on,

“Why?” 

Iris took a deep breath as she watched Dawn dangle the ring and continue to explore it. 

“Because it was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. Because soon after it was given you father told me he loved me for the first time. And because it’s a replica of my mother’s wedding band.” 

“This was Grandma’s?” The wonder was evident in Dawn’s voice. 

“It’s an exact replica. I think of it as the original one. I kept it sacred as a memory of her and a memory of me and your father’s journey of love - a memory of that moment when he put it on me. I still remember how happy I was. It was joy. Your father remembered something so important to me, and now I can fully register what I was feeling, love. I knew it back then too, but I just didn’t know the kind of love it was.” The nostalgia filled Iris with tears of happiness at how far she and Barry have come, they have a family now, a beautiful, happy, precious one. There was a comfortable silence between them as Dawn rested her head on her mother’s shoulder, something she hasn’t done in a while, and Iris pulled her daughter closer, hugging her, and they sat there, wrapped up in each other. 

“Mom?” 

“Yes?” 

“This has to be the most romantic gift dad’s ever given you.” She whispered to her mom. Iris smiled, but there were some other gifts that came to mind that were also intimate and special. 

“It’s definitely up there.” Iris mentioned and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Okay, so do you want to wear it?” She asked Dawn. 

Dawn stared at her mom like she said an atrocity. 

“No - no - no - no. I won’t wear this! This is way too special.” Iris chuckled. 

“Sweetie, you’re way more special. If you want to wear it, you can.” 

“Thanks mom, glad you trust me, but I think if I was to ask to use it, it’d be for something more than just a school dance.”

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind.” 

“I’m sure!” And in a flash the necklace and the red velvet box were back in the jewelry drawer. 

“You know, if you let me see the dress I’d be able to help you pick out the jewelry, and I know I’m good at accessorizing, cause you’re always telling me what I do right and wrong, and you hardly ever critique my jewelry choices.” Iris offered. 

“I hardly critique you at all.” 

“I love it when you do though, it’s nice to have some real opinion on my clothes rather than just ‘you look beautiful, Iris’ or ‘that’s perfect, Iris’,” Iris rolled her eyes like she didn’t love it and Dawn laughed. 

“Fine, you can see the dress.” 

“Yes!” Iris squealed and Dawn shook her head with a smile. 

***

Iris had been staring at Dawn in her gorgeous light blue which turns to dark blue as it goes along, strapless dress with a hem that was black for a while now with tears in her eyes. She was speechless. Look at her baby all grown up. This would be Dawn’s first dance. She happened to be going with friends instead of with a boy (Barry was especially happy to hear that), but Iris knew that would change soon. Iris occasionally caught Dawn dropping a boy’s name here and there and she knew her daughter was probably crushin’ on him, though she wouldn’t admit it, and Iris didn’t want to pry. Her daughter was a young lady now. 

“So? Mom, don’t just stand there.” The nervousness in Dawn’s voice broke into Iris’ thoughts.

“Oh hon! It’s just beautiful. It really is, I love that you did the two shades of blue it really worked out so well. I’m so proud of you!” The tears spilled over as Iris went and hugged her daughter close. It felt like just yesterday that she was a toddler with Don, walking around everywhere, then running around everywhere making the house a mess. Dawn used to love finger painting, and those were some hard days for Iris West-Allen and Barry Allen, but now she wanted her sweet little girl with her adorable big-eyed apologies and her hand painted green spoiling a dress by giving Iris a tight hug. How she’s grown!

“Um, mom, what do you think of the hem?” Dawn was squirming out of the hug, she didn’t want her dress to get too squished - not to mention she was expecting tons of hugs before leaving, her family was a hugging family. 

Iris was brought back to the present and let go of her daughter to look at the hem of her dress, she hadn’t noticed before that there was some embroidery of flowers on it, it was in a dark blue so it wasn’t too clear. 

“Oh, I didn’t see that! Maybe use a brighter color? I love it though! Is this that new thing you said you were learning?” 

“Mmhmm!” Dawn said looking pleased. Iris examined it closer. She grinned when she noticed some Iris outlines in the stitches.

“It’s really good!” Iris said and Dawn beamed. She loved when her mother loved her work, especially because she often looked up to her mom for fashion guidance and knows her mom has a good eye. She also loved though when her dad would be absolutely floored at her work and tell her she was going to be a famous designer one day. She could tell he meant it and that meant the world to her. Her parents helped her to keep going to get this dress done in time even when nothing was working out and she wanted to quit. 

“I’m so excited! John is gonna be there with Mina and Kaylee! I can’t wait till they see this dress.” Dawn said, more to herself than Iris. Iris just smiled. 

“Alright, give me a moment and I’ll grab the perfect piece of jewelry for the dress.” 

Dawn waited patiently while her mom grabbed it, and went to her vanity mirror to explore her dress further. In a few minutes her mother was back with beautiful dark blue stud earrings and, Dawn backed away for a moment, and the ring necklace. 

“Wha-what! Mom, I can’t possibly!” 

“This is your _first dance_ , and your _first handmade dress_ it’s a special enough occasion. Just take it okay, I could tell you really liked it.” 

“But - it’s yours - dad gave it to you,” 

“And I’m letting you wear it. He’ll be glad to see it out. And you know it’s bound to be yours anyways.” 

Dawn Allen felt her vision clouding with tears. 

“Aww, sweetie, don’t cry. Come here.” The two of them hugged once again this time Dawn burying her face in her mom's shoulder and giving her a proper hug. Her tears flowing freely. Iris rubbed her daughters back, her own tears coming out. She was so blessed with her lovely family. 

“Come on, let’s go show your brother and father your look! Also, don’t make fun of your brother in his tux he was really sensitive about it when I checked up on him. He looks _so_ adorable though!” Dawn laughed because she was sure her mom embarrassed Don by telling him how cute he looked when she saw him. 

He was always striving to be more grown up - a man, but Iris saw him as her little boy. She knew he was growing up though, after all he was already taller than her. It was just her way of coping.

“Mom?” Dawn asked as she turned and let her mom put the necklace on her. 

“Yes?” 

“I love you. Thanks so much.” 

“I love you too, Dawn my sweet girl.”

And with one final hug, they were off.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my heart, writing this! This was emotional for me because I love that we have Flash Family! We have this extended story for the West-Allen’s for centuries and I’m so happy! Also, I wrote this on a headcanon that Iris keeps the ring necklace tucked away as a sentimental treasure. But I do have more stories in mind for Flash Family.
> 
> P.S. My final headcanon to share: Iris’ full name is Iris Cynthia West and Barry’s is Bartholomew Ryan Allen.


End file.
